By Jarrett Renshaw
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden heads to South America on Thursday for a curtain name with international leaders after over 50 years in U.S. politics, however the man he tried and did not hold from returning to energy is prone to be the main focus of many conferences: incoming U.S. President Donald Trump.
Biden will maintain non-public conferences with Chinese language President Xi Jinping and the heads of Japan, South Korea and Brazil in the course of the summits of the Asia-Pacific Financial Cooperation, or APEC, in Peru and the Group of 20 main economies, or G20, in Brazil. The conferences over six days are usually not anticipated to yield any main new agreements, senior Biden administration officers mentioned, whilst they’re prone to contact on commerce, safety and international alliances.
“The APEC and G20 will be about one thing … and that is Donald Trump – and what to expect from the next Trump administration on trade, alliances, and other issues,” mentioned Victor Cha, president of the Geopolitics and International Coverage Division on the Middle for Strategic and Worldwide Research.
Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, within the Nov. 5 presidential election after promising Individuals he would impose steep tariffs on all imports, with increased ones geared toward Chinese language items, and signaled a lot softer help for Ukraine in its battle in opposition to Russia. Harris’ loss got here after Biden was pressured to step apart within the race due to issues that at 81 he was too previous for one more time period.
Trump’s Republican social gathering additionally received management of each homes of the U.S. Congress, giving him extra energy to push by way of measures on commerce and different points.
Biden got here into workplace in 2020 looking for to rebuild alliances strained throughout Trump’s first time period and tried to indicate that the U.S. remained engaged past its borders. He strengthened and expanded NATO and labored to counter China within the Indo-Pacific by build up multilateral alliances in Asia.
Trump has a basically completely different world view than Biden, preferring bilateral conferences the place he can apply transactional diplomacy over multilateral partnerships like NATO.
Nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan informed reporters on Wednesday that Biden will use the journey to say that America cherishes and invests in its alliances and thank those that have helped take care of an array of world issues.
“It’s a message of principle. It’s a message of practicality, and it’s been one of the causes of President Biden’s life,” he mentioned.
SWAN SONG OR LAME DUCK
Biden will meet with President Xi on Saturday in the course of the APEC summit in Lima, White Home officers mentioned. The one-on-one assembly will likely be Biden’s remaining alternative to problem the Chinese language chief immediately on its threats in opposition to Taiwan, alleged human rights violations and help for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Will probably be the primary time the 2 leaders have met in individual since a summit between the pair in California a 12 months in the past. That marked a turning level for U.S.-China relations after Biden’s determination in early 2023 to shoot down a Chinese language spy balloon that drifted over america elevated tensions.
U.S. financial and army competitors with China will outline what the world appears to be like like over the following 30 years, Sullivan mentioned, including that Republicans and Democrats have lengthy demonstrated bipartisanship within the space of overseas coverage.
Trump’s incoming cupboard is stacked with politicians who’ve pushed a tough-on-China message.
Biden wouldn’t move any messages to Xi from Trump, Sullivan mentioned, however will probably communicate in regards to the necessity of avoiding a army battle.
“He will also really reinforce the point that in order for us to manage this competition responsibly going forward, we have to sustain over the long term the channels of communication at every level, particularly the military to military level,” Sullivan mentioned.
Biden and Trump met for 2 hours on the White Home on Wednesday.
Biden can be anticipated to carry a trilateral assembly with Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and meet with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Erin Murphy, deputy director on the Middle for Strategic and Worldwide Research, mentioned it won’t be a swan track for Biden, however a special type of chicken.
“Not only is he a lame duck, but a super lame duck because his successor is going to have very different policies than he is,” Murphy mentioned.
